


All In Good Time

by CaptnSlash



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Hunting the Argents, M/M, Road Trip, Stiles is Magic, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-14
Updated: 2013-02-19
Packaged: 2017-11-29 05:30:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 16,445
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/683383
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaptnSlash/pseuds/CaptnSlash
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Stiles has so much magic that he accidentally creates a spell that sends him six years into the past, where he meets a 16 year old Derek Hale. Stiles is trapped there and grows closer to Derek, all the while wishing he could get back to the Sourwolf that he has already started falling for.</p><p>When Derek and Laura share their desire to get revenge for the murder of their family members, Stiles tags along. Even if it means he's stuck in a truck with two werewolves, driving from California to New York.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I had conflicting thoughts about whether or not this was ready to be published for everyone to see. After editing and more editing, I think it finally looks like what I intended for it to be. Please ignore any spelling and grammar mistakes. They happen to the best of us.

Stiles had a love/hate relationship with magic. Normally people view the arcane arts as cool and exciting, but Stiles knew that while magic is summed up well by those two adjectives, it also tends to snap back like a rubber band when people least expect it. Stiles knew the spell he found in the book would be perfect for expelling the spirits that had been causing destruction all over Beacon Hills, especially the ones that tried to kill his father on multiple occasions.

He was right, of course, and it had worked perfectly. He just didn't think that all of the power he accessed would linger once the threat had been dealt with. Because if he knew he'd still be able to do magic, he never would have asked a rhetorical question before falling asleep. He definitely wouldn't have wanted to know what Derek's damage was and why he had issues communicating like a normal human being, because he would have known that magic would answer his question for him. Which is exactly what it did.

That's why Stiles was looking up at a younger Derek Hale, who's fangs were completely exposed. "What the hell are you doing in my bed?"

"What? _Your_...bed?" It was true. Stiles woke up in Derek's bed and apparently the werewolf had woken up next to him. "Wow. This is bad." He gave himself a moment to look at the younger version of Derek that was in front of him, and while he wasn't as muscular, Stiles thought he looked pretty much the same.

"Explain yourself," Derek said, breaking his study of Derek's features. Stiles could tell that Derek was freaked, which was probably why Derek wasn't hiding his werewolf traits all that well.

"Magic is a bitch," was his response.

Derek just stared at Stiles. A knock on his door distracted both of them. "Derek? You're going to be late for school."

"Mom...there's a guy in my bed and I don't know him."

The door opened and the woman, Stiles assumed Derek's mother, was smiling. Until she met Stiles' eyes, that is, and then she was across the room in a flash and holding him by the throat. Her eyes burned the same Beta-blue that Derek's eyes had once been before he became Alpha. "Who are you?"

Stiles' eyes moved to Derek, who stood up and moved behind his mother. "I'm Stiles. Stilinski."

"That's impossible. The Deputy and his wife have a son, but he's only ten years old."

Stiles tried to nod his head but he found it difficult. "Did I mention the part about magic?"

"He said something about magic before you came in," Derek said.

"Okay, please don't turn me into a werewolf, first of all. Secondly, I'm from the future and somehow I cast a spell on accident, which brought me here."

"Hey, who's the kid?," a female voice asked. Stiles looked to the doorway and saw a dark-haired girl leaning against the doorframe. He knew that it was Laura immediately, and he remembered the time he and his mother had run into her at the grocery store and she had smiled at him.

"You know about werewolves?" Stiles felt claws grow from Mrs. Hale's fingers and they grew just long enough to dig into his skin, but not puncture it.

"Yes. My best friend is one. I don't want to complain, but you're cutting off blood flow and I'm gonna pass out in a minute."

Derek's mother released her hold on him and she took a step back. When Stiles brought a hand to his neck, he found that everything was normal and that there was no blood gushing out of multiple puncture wounds.

"He does resemble the Stilinski's son." Derek's mother was staring at him now.

Stiles focused his mind and closed his eyes. "I wish everything were back to normal," he said. When he opened his eyes the Hales were still looking at him, only now they were pretty sure he was crazy.

"He could be lying," Laura said.

"I'm not. I'm telling the truth."

"His heartbeat is steady," Derek said.

"We heard reports that hunters were moving into the area last week. He could be one of them."

"I'm not a hunter. I need to talk to Deaton. He can explain all this."

"The veterinarian? That guy is creepy," Laura said.

"He's not just a veterinarian. This is really all Derek's fault anyway. He was the one that...wait. I probably shouldn't tell any of you anything about the future."

"Derek's dating guys in the future, right? I've always suspected...," Laura began, but Derek quickly cut her off. "Shut up."

Laura smiled at Derek. "Just admit it already. You having a thing for muscular guys in tight clothing isn't anything to be ashamed of."

"You are such an annoying bitch."

Stiles stared at Derek with wide eyes. "Dude. It is not okay to talk to your sister like that."

"Thank you," Laura said, before she hit Derek on the top of his head with the back of her hand. "Dumbass," she added, just for Derek.

"Derek, drop him at the animal clinic on your way to school."

"What? Why me?"

"Because he woke up in your bed," his mother said, before leaving the room. Laura laughed and followed her out. Derek just glared at him, proving that he learned his scowling at a young age.

"I'll wait for you to take a shower. Take as long as you want."

"Stiles, would you like some breakfast?" Derek's mother was now leaning into the room from the doorway.

"Mom, he's an intruder in our home! You can't offer him breakfast!"

"Of course we can, Derek. We're civilized people. Stiles?"

"No, but thank you for your kindness. Hopefully I'll be back in my own time in no time."

"Derek, get a move on." She disappeared again, and this time Stiles was able to hear her footsteps as she walked down the stairs.

Derek sighed. When he caught Stiles staring he narrowed his eyes at him. "What are you looking at?"

"You. I just think I figured out why you're always on time."

"You're not fooling me. You're either working with the Hunters or you're something else out to get us. When you make one wrong move I'll catch you. Then you'll regret playing these games."

"I could totally take you," Stiles said, which he knew was untrue.

"You couldn't take me if I were already on the ground, naked and unconscious, with Wolfsbane circled around me."

"True," Stiles said, unable to get _that_ image of Derek out of his mind. "But I'd go down trying."

Derek walked around his room and collected a change of clothes. He stopped and turned back to Stiles before walking out through the doorway. "I'm going to take a shower. Try not to get your scent all over my stuff."

"I'll do my best," Stiles fake promised. As soon as Derek left the room he took a seat on the corner of the unmade bed and began looking around the room. It all seemed so Derek, and yet the posters and photographs all seemed so unlike the Derek that he had come to know. Stiles did the math in his head and figured out that Derek was sixteen years old. Even worse was that they were a few weeks from his mother dying and, if his calculations were right, a little over three months before Derek's family would burn in the fire.

Stiles knew that altering the timeline wouldn't be a good idea, but he made a promise to himself that if he wasn't gone by the time she was about to die, he would go to the hospital and see his mother one last time. It would hurt like hell, he knew, but he never really got to say goodbye when she died before. Stiles became curious when he saw a stack of papers sitting on Derek's desk, so he walked over and picked them up to occupy himself. When Derek came back twenty minutes later, all clean and in new clothes, he caught Stiles in the act.

"You read my reports?"

"Yeah. I had no idea you were for animal rights and against animal testing."

"I'm leaving now. Hurry up if you want a ride."

Stiles returned the papers to where he found them. He followed Derek down the stairs and froze when he smelled the scent of pumpkin muffins coming from the kitchen. There was something familiar about them but he couldn't place it as much as he tried.

"And who is this?," a male voice asked.

"This is the creep that I found in my bed when I woke up." Derek regretted saying it that way as soon as the words had finished coming out of his mouth. Stiles did as well, because the man that they were talking to was Peter.

He eyed Stiles up and down. "Are you here to harm my nephew?"

"No. I'm on my way home, actually."

"Have you tried clicking your heels three times? It worked for Dorothy."

"Not really, no."

Stiles practically pushed Derek out of his own house, leaving Peter alone where he was standing at the base of the stairs. Stiles stared at the black pickup truck in the driveway for a moment until Derek looked like he was going to pull out of the driveway without him. He quickly opened the door and jumped into the passenger seat. He secured his seatbelt because he remembered how Derek drove, and tried to prepare himself for an even worse driving experience since the current version of Derek lacked the practice his older counterpart had. When they reached the Animal clinic after a drive of silence, they found that it was closed. Stiles was just thankful he arrived without a concussion.

Derek turned the key in the ignition and killed the engine. He stared at the clinic through the front windshield and Stiles saw him analyzing the building in the way he did when he was getting ready for a fight. Derek had once told Stiles that it was a bad idea to go into a building without knowing where your exits were, and where the easiest place to make an exit would be in case all other options failed.

"I can just wait by myself. You're already running late."

"I'm not going to leave you out here all alone. School can wait."

"Your parents are going to think I'm a bad influence on you."

"Probably."

"I'm sorry for freaking you out this morning. I should have made sure the magic was released before I let my mind wander about your...never mind."

Derek looked into his eyes. He seemed to be looking for something, but Stiles couldn't help but notice how different his eyes seemed. They were full of possibility, something that Derek was lacking in his own time. "It's okay," Derek said, and he turned and looked away.

"Still, your reaction was tame compared to how my Derek would have reacted. You probably would have pushed me off your bed and onto the floor."

Derek turned to him. "I wouldn't have killed you?"

"No. We're kind of like allies where I come from. Or when. You aren't the type of guy that gets close to people easily."

"So I'm still living in Beacon Hills in six years?"

"Yeah. I shouldn't say too much about the future, though."

"Right. That makes sense."

"Yeah." ' _You have no idea_ ,' Stiles thought.

"You smell like me," Derek said suddenly.

"I do?"

Derek nodded. "Laura noticed. That's why she made that comment earlier. She's such a pain."

"You and I were holed up in a corner when I used magic to exorcise some ghosts. You were protecting me. That's probably why."

Derek nodded, as though he understood. It didn't matter to Stiles, because he was sure that he had smelled like Derek tons of times, like when they had both been paralyzed next to each other at the Sheriff's station.

They waited in the truck and saw when Denton pulled into the parking lot. He entered through the side entrance and unlocked the front door. A moment later he activated the electronic OPEN sign. Derek followed Stiles inside and Deaton was waiting for them on his side of the counter.

"Gentlemen. What can I help you with?"

"I need your help. Derek here thinks I'm trying to kill his werewolf family and I think you're the only one that can get me home."

Deaton narrowed his eyes at them. "I can't help you. You should leave."

When neither of them budged, Deaton put his hand on the wooden counter. Stiles knew what was coming, and he turned to Derek in time to see him begin to feel the pain in his head. "Stop it," Stiles said, but Deaton ignored him.

"Leave now. I won't give you another chance." Derek fell to his knees when the pain increased.

Stiles kneeled next to Derek and put his hand against Derek's, palm to palm. He visualized a light traveling through his body and entering Derek's through the places where their hands were touching. Then he willed the energy to counteract the effects of the mountain ash, which happened immediately. Deaton was surprised when Derek was able to stand up, and Stiles removed his hand and turned back to the veterinarian. Derek let out an angry growl at the vet, but Stiles put a hand on his shoulder and calmed him down instantly, much to Derek's annoyance.

"How did you do that?," Deaton asked.

"I'm magic, dude, which is why I need your help. We all know each other in the future and somehow I cast a spell and brought myself here, to the past."

Stiles swore that he saw something in Deaton's eyes come alive. "You don't understand what you just did. How is it possible?"

"What did he do, exactly?," Derek asked.

"What were your names?"

"I'm Stiles. This is Derek."

"Right. Well, Stiles just used his own magical ability to circumvent my control of the mountain ash. Next to that, he somehow granted you immunity to it's effects. It isn't a permanent immunity, but it's likely that my attempting to use it on you within the next few hours would prove useless."

"I did that?"

"Yes, you did. Are your parents practitioners of the arts?"

"No. I cast a spell to allow me to exorcise a few spirits and then my mind was wandering as I fell asleep. When I woke up, I was next to this guy in his bed, six years in my past. I just need to know how to reverse this so I can go back home."

Deaton walked away from them and headed to the back of the clinic. Stiles had no hesitation in following but Derek was cautious. When he finally caught up to them, Deaton had already pulled a book from one of his shelves and he was flipping through it. "The spell that you cast. Do you remember a name?"

"Not so much. But I can tell you that it involved me bleeding onto a lit white candle."

"Then the spell was tied directly to your blood. I assume you've tried reversing the spell by declaring your desire to return home?"

"Of course. It didn't work."

Deaton nodded. "You're still tied to the original spell, and that is still drawing energy to you. The problem is that you've been thrown backwards in time, which requires the energy to take longer to reach you. I suspect that the problem is that you don't have enough power to reverse the spell."

"So he's stuck here?," Derek asked.

"No. He's saying that I'm slowly building up magic and when I raise enough, I'll be able to use it to go home."

"Exactly. Stiles, time travel is an incredibly dangerous form of magic. If you say the wrong thing or do something to alter the timeline, your entire future could rewrite itself and you could become stuck here. You must be extremely cautious."

"I figured as much. How will I know when I'm ready to go back?"

"It will probably take a day or two. Remember, you're talking about collecting a huge amount of energy. What was the trigger that brought you to this time?"

"I had a thought about Derek. Then I woke up here."

"That's interesting."

"Is that important?," Derek asked.

Deaton nodded. "I believe so. Stiles, you in effect cast a spell to travel through time. I don't think it will be possible for you to return to where you came from until you get the answer that you were looking for."

"Ohmygod. I totally hate you right now," Stiles said, looking into Derek's eyes.

"I had nothing to do with this, remember?"

"That's totally beside the point."

Stiles sighed. If he was going to be spending time with Derek, at least he'd be able to...

 

He turned and froze because Derek and Deaton had vanished, and he was no longer standing in the animal clinic.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This all began because I wanted some Stiles and Laura interaction. I don't think I did the best job of capturing grief here, but it kind of works somehow, so I went with it. I was also interested to see how Derek would act as a teenager at the same age as where I picture Stiles to be.
> 
> Yes, there is an age difference between Derek and Stiles. But Derek is a werewolf and Stiles is magical, so the laws of man shouldn't really apply to them anyway. Right?

Stiles looked around and he recognized the hallway outside of the counselor's office at the school, which was where he was now standing. Stiles ran a hand through his hair and stared when the door opened. He saw Derek and Laura both sitting in the chairs in the office. Both of them had tears in their eyes. Stiles watched until his father, a deputy of the Beacon Hills Sheriff's Department, looked like he was ready to leave the room. He hid to avoid being seen, and when it was just the two of them and the coast was clear, he ran inside the office and shut the door.

"You knew this was going to happen," Derek said, meeting Stiles' eyes like he was now the person he hated most.

"It was meant to happen. Don't think for a second that I wouldn't have spared you guys all of this pain if I could have. For what it's worth, I'm really sorry."

Derek wiped away a fresh set of tears with his sleeve. Laura was quiet as she stared at a spot on the floor. Stiles shoved his hands into his jacket pockets and took the seat between them, feeling oddly comfortable with their grief. "I missed my mother dying. I never got to say goodbye to her before and I was hoping...well, that isn't important anymore. If it makes you feel better, the people responsible for the fire will pay for what they did."

Derek turned and met his eyes. "The Deputies said it was an accident. Who did this?" His eyes were flashing blue when Stiles didn't respond. Derek's hand flew to his throat in a blur and he squeezed enough to cause pain, but not enough to do serious damage. "Tell me!" Laura continued sitting there, staring at the floor.

"I can't. You'll find out in your own time and you'll get justice for what they did. I'm by your side helping you get it when the time comes. Besides, you aren't capable of stopping them right now."

"Kate," Derek said, somehow knowing. Stiles refused to give it away even though it was pretty obvious. Derek released Stiles and he took off running down the hall. Laura glared at Stiles before she followed him out, and Stiles knew that he had just possibly caused the destruction of his own timeline. He had watched enough Dr. WHO to know that was a very, very bad thing.

Stiles was unsure of what his next move should be. He wouldn't be able to let the spell play through if he wasn't around Derek long enough to figure out why Derek is as closed off as he is. At the same time, if he sticks around Derek, the Argents could consider him a threat and he could get hurt in the process. When the door to the office opened, he was relieved to find Derek and Laura walking back into the room.

"Laura talked some sense into me. I'm sorry I hurt you."

Sties raised his hand to his throat and felt the two small scratch marks. "It's okay. They'll heal."

"We're going after Kate and her family," Laura said.

"That's not even almost a good idea," Stiles said.

"They destroyed our family. We have nothing left for us here, and besides, they'd know where to find us if they did come back to finish the job."

"We don't even know where they are. They wouldn't stick around after what they did," Stiles said, knowing he was going to regret playing along. But he had a thought in the back of his mind that maybe this was how it was meant to play out. So when Derek spoke, he already knew that he was involved now.

"They're going to New York," Derek said.

 

* * *

 

Stiles didn't object when Laura and Derek offered to give him a ride. When they drove to the county line and pulled the truck over, Stiles realized that they had nothing left to pack. "Are you coming?," Laura asked.

"Sure. Why not? I like driving to my death as much as the next guy."

"Don't be so dramatic."

"You do realize that I have no knowledge of what we're driving into, right? My knowledge of your future is pretty much nil once we get on the other side of the city limits sign."

"We'll deal with whatever comes up. You can either come with us or risk spending the rest of your days here, living six years in your past."

"Fine. I'm coming. But if I die, I'm not going to be happy."

 

* * *

 

Stiles was forced to play the license plate game by himself because Laura and Derek seemed to think road trip entertainment was beneath them. When they crossed the line into Utah he gave up on the game because he had been stuck on Alaska, and he didn't imagine seeing it anytime soon. "Do you want me to drive for a while?," Derek asked, breaking the silence.

"I want to get there in one piece," Laura replied.

"So you falling asleep at the wheel would be a good thing? We can either stop and get a room or we can take turns driving."

Laura sighed. "Fine. I'll pull into the next rest stop and we'll switch."

Stiles watched them, and it seemed to him that they didn't mind his presence. He was worried that they had forgotten about him all together but Derek turned in his seat so that he could see Stiles. "Are you okay?"

"Um, yeah. I'm good."

"You've been quiet."

"I didn't really know what to say. It isn't like I can say or do anything to help."

"You're helping us find the people responsible. It helps."

"At least Uncle Peter survived," Laura said suddenly. "I almost feel like we should wait for him to heal up. He'd want to be a part of this too."

Derek turned to his sister. "He's in a coma and he'll probably never wake up."

"He's a werewolf. He'll heal through it. You'll see."

Stiles bit his lip to keep from letting anything slip. He leaned back in the seat and watched the billboards and roadside restaurants they passed. He wondered if he was going to experience another jump in time and if that happened, where in Derek's life would he show up this time. He promised himself that this was going to be his last experience with time travel, even if he had to swear off all magic to ensure he kept it.

When Laura pulled into the rest stop they all got out to stretch their legs. Derek went to use the restroom which allowed Laura to get some one on one time with Stiles.

"Derek told me about your meeting with Deaton."

"I figured he would."

"He said you accidentally cast a spell and now you can't go home until you get answers. I need to know what it is you're looking for."

"I don't think that's a good idea."

"It might be important. He's my brother and he and Peter are all that I have left."

Stiles sighed as he weighed the options. "In my time, Derek is kind of a loner. He isn't the friendliest person in the world and I, in all my stupidity, asked what made him that way. Now I'm getting a front row seat to everything."

"So you're his friend?"

Stiles knew where a question like that was going. He was elated when he spotted Derek walking back towards them. "Um, I think I should use the restroom before we get back on the road." He practically ran from her and avoided Derek's eyes when they passed each other on the sidewalk. He went to the restroom and did his business, but he was more thankful for avoiding the questions about his feelings. If he was being honest, he did care about Derek Hale, but to what extent he wasn't sure.

To say that he didn't have feelings for Derek would have been a lie. "He's just a Sourwolf," he said, as he looked at himself in the mirror. When a trucker entered the restroom and gave Stiles a look that made him fear for his life, he walked out of the restroom and headed back to the truck. Derek was alone and leaning against the passenger door.

"Did you scare your sister away?"

"She needed some time."

"Great. Now I feel like an inconsiderate ass. I'll, uh, leave you alone."

"You can stay. I think it's better for me to be around you right now."

"You do?"

"If I'm alone then I'm going to start feeling everything. I have to be strong now, for Laura. I can't go there and you're helping me remember that."

"Well, I have many uses."

Derek laughed. Stiles watched the smile fall from his face and he knew all to well what Derek was thinking about. "It's okay for you to laugh, Derek. You aren't bring selfish by continuing to live your life. I felt like that when my mom died. I didn't laugh or smile for almost two months."

"I went by your house one night after you disappeared. I saw you reading comic books in your bed. It was a week before your mother..."

"My mom would buy them for me at the grocery store. When she got sick she started buying me extra ones. I think she knew..."

"You seem okay now."

"It gets easier after six years. It doesn't mean that losing them is ever okay. It's just part of continuing to live your life, which is what they would want you to do."

"I know."

"Your mother was nice. Even when she had me by the throat."

Derek nodded. "She was always protective of Laura and I. My dad was the same way."

"I'm sorry that I didn't get to meet him."

Stiles felt the lumps in his throat vanish as Laura walked towards them. Then he felt like panicking because he knew that she was going to keep questioning him about his relationship with Derek, and it felt wrong to not tell her everything about the guy she would never live long enough to know. Derek followed Stiles' eyes and stood up, opening the passenger door as he did. Stiles climbed into the truck and Laura got into the passenger seat. She turned and smirked at him when she caught him eying Derek. He did his best to keep his eyes to himself after that.

They were a hundred miles outside of St. Louis when they stopped at a diner to get some food. The drive had made all of them tired and their ability to separate themselves from the pain and mourning they were still processing was wearing thin. "We should get a couple of hotel rooms tonight," Laura said.

"Are you sure? We could be in New York by tomorrow afternoon." Derek shoved a greasy fry into his mouth.

"We're all tired. Besides, we should make sure the Argents are still headed to New York."

"How do we do that?"

"I'll take care of it," Laura said. Stiles ignored her cryptic speech because her eyes seemed to lack energy. When he looked into Derek's eyes he found that they were the same.

"I think it's a good idea. You both need a few hours of sleep. New York will still be there in the morning and the Argents will be too."

"Then it's settled. I'll run across the street and get the rooms with the emergency card mom gave me."

"It still works?"

Laura nodded. "I haven't called to cancel the account."

"Derek and I will take care of the check." He watched Laura get up and leave the restaurant. He turned to Derek. "You okay?"

"I'm great," Derek lied, and Stiles knew it.

"Come on. The waitress has been drooling over you all night and we aren't leaving until you get her number."

"I don't want it."

"Come on, she's got to be your type. Black fingernail polish is cool right now, right?"

"I don't want her number." Derek pulled out his wallet and took a couple of bills out and gave them to Stiles. "You do it." Stiles' mouth hung open as Derek got up and left the restaurant. Stiles felt guilty for pushing him too soon, which wasn't a good feeling for a people-pleaser to have.

The waitress barely smiled at him as he payed for the dinner with Derek's money. He gave her a good tip and then walked across the street after noticing that one of them had moved the truck to the motel parking lot. When he approached Laura, who was leaning against the wall half-way between two rooms, she looked ready to gut him. "What did you say to my brother?"

"What? When?"

"He stormed over here and grabbed the key out of my hand. Now he's holed up in the room with the king bed and I have the room for the two twins. Tell me what you said to make him so upset."

"I was just trying to cheer him up. The waitress was flirting with him the entire time we were there."

"She was?" Stiles was surprised when he realized that she truthfully hadn't noticed.

"Yes, she was. How am I the only one that noticed it? I'll talk to Derek."

"You better, because I'm not sharing a room with you."

Stiles, now faced with the possibility of having to sleep in the truck, walked to the room that Laura pointed to. He knocked gently on the door and when he turned the knob, he found that it wasn't locked. He entered the room and found Derek on the bed and he was staring up at the ceiling.

"I'm sorry I upset you."

"You didn't."

"I did. And I know why."

Derek turned his head so that their eyes met. Stiles saw the vulnerability that was there and he felt sorry for Derek. "Derek, it wasn't your fault."

"You don't know that."

"I'm future boy, remember? I may not know all of your deep dark secrets, but I know the important ones. Your sister is going to find out sooner or later, man. You need to tell her."

Derek stared back at the ceiling. Stiles sighed and got into the bed next to Derek. "I got my family killed."

"Kate took advantage of you. She manipulated you because she's an evil bitch."

"So you've met her."

Stiles smirked. "Yeah, once or twice. What happened wasn't your fault. You have to believe me on that."

"I can't. I had her in my house, Stiles. I had her in the basement. We..."

"Okay, I don't need to know where you did the deed. My point is that you were an honest guy. She's the one that betrayed you."

Stiles turned when he heard the change in Derek's breathing. He sat up in the bed and sat next to Stiles. "I want her dead. I want to kill her myself."

"You're angry. I'm not saying that you don't have a right to be. I just think you need to remember the person your parents wanted you to be. Revenge is only a temporary state of being, Derek."

"I don't care. I'm going to kill her." Stiles noticed that the tears were flowing now, so he wrapped his arm around Derek and held him. It felt weird, especially when the Alpha refused to let anyone touch him in the future, but he had to prove to Derek that he would be okay.

"She betrayed your trust and she hurt people that you care about. I'm not saying that she doesn't deserve to die. I just think you're not the right person for the job. I've seen the person that killed her, Derek. You aren't a monster, and it's going to take a monster to bring down a monster."

Derek was silent. Stiles sat with him until Derek wiped the tears out of his eyes. He laid down on the bed and Stiles did the same. "I'm not sharing a bed with you."

"Come on. We're buds now. Besides, technically we already have."

Derek sighed. "Fine. Just for tonight. We'll be in New York by this time tomorrow."

Stiles didn't know whether that was true or not, and he didn't care. The only thing he was focused on now was helping Derek and Laura through this mess. He didn't know what they would find in New York, but he hoped that it wouldn't be Kate Argent. Because he was sure that if he saw her, he was capable of becoming the kind of monster that would kill her. And Stiles knew that he would do anything necessary to protect Derek.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the next part. There are a few fluffy areas, but most of it is tolerable for those of you that don't like much. Happy Sterek Day! Errr...I mean Valentine's Day.

When Stiles woke up he found that he was alone in the room. He sat up and wiped the sleep from his eyes before a weird feeling started to develop in the pit of his stomach. He was immediately worried that Derek was out somewhere getting himself into trouble. Stiles opened the door of the room and stepped out into the sunlight in time to see Derek being put into the back of a police car. He was amazed at his level of intuition but skipped giving himself a pat on the back.

Stiles cursed under his breath and ran over to the officer, who was talking to her partner. She noticed him approaching and put her hand on her gun as she attempted to determine whether or not he was a threat. "Excuse me. What happened?"

The officers relaxed because of his politeness. "Do you know this kid?"

"Yes. Did he do something wrong?"

"He busted the glass out of a vending machine. The desk clerk called us and made a complaint."

Stiles took half a second to formulate his plan. "It's my fault. I forgot my insulin and I'm not feeling well. He was just trying to help me get by until we can get to the pharmacy. We'll pay for the repair costs and we'll be leaving town as soon as we get my medicine."

The police officers looked at each other for a moment and the woman gave Stiles a smile. "Alright. I'll smooth it over with the manager. Do you need us to give you a ride to the hospital?"

"No, it isn't serious yet. I really appreciate this and I'm sorry for the trouble he caused. We're very protective each other. He's never done anything so stupid before." The officer pulled Derek from the back of the car and uncuffed him. Derek apologized and then Stiles led him back to the room after the police officer handed Stiles a box of juice and a chocolate bar she had brought with her from the motel lobby.

"How the hell did you do that?," Derek asked.

"My father becomes the Sheriff and I learn a thing or two about lying to law enforcement over the years. The trick is to be believable and focus on something that they can't dismiss. What the hell were you doing breaking into a vending machine?!"

"I'd like to know too," Laura said. Stiles hadn't realized she made her way into the room but the look on Derek's face told him that he knew she was lurking.

"I lost my temper. I just wanted a damn cookie."

"Vending machines _are_ evil," he said, meeting Laura's eyes.

"Derek, I'm not even eighteen yet. If you start getting into trouble then they aren't going to let me keep you. They'll try to ship you off to some foster home."

"Like hell they will."

"She's right, Derek. You need to remain off the radar so that the Hunters that know your identity can't track you. The police won't hesitate to pull you out of Laura's care if they think she's doing a bad job."

"Fine," Derek said, his voice loud, "I'm sorry. I won't do it again."

"Good. Stiles, you saved us back there. Thank you."

"No problem. Let me take a shower and we can get out of here."

"Fine. But we're going to have to wash those clothes or get you some new ones, because you're starting to stink."

"If I knew I was going to go traveling through time I would have brought some spare clothes. It could have been worse though. Usually I sleep naked." Laura rolled her eyes while Derek laughed.

"I'll get you some clothes," Derek said, "take a shower and we'll get ready to go."

Stiles did as instructed, and when he got out of the bathroom he found a change of clothes waiting for him on the bed. Next to it was a new toothbrush, some travel toothpaste, and deodorant. Stiles spent another fifteen minutes getting ready, and when he walked out to the truck, Laura and Derek were waiting for him. "Thanks for the clothes and supplies."

"It was nothing. Ready?"

"Yep. Are we still headed to New York?"

Laura nodded. "Mom and dad have an old friend that is with a pack in Syracuse. She confirmed that the Argents are there, but she thinks they're planning on relocating again. We should get there soon to be sure they haven't left."

"You're still planning on killing them." It wasn't a question. Stiles could see by looking into their eyes.

"What did you expect?"

"I don't know. I know things about the people you're after, but if I tell you then everything is going to get screwed up. This really blows."

"Stiles, they declared war on our family. They claim to hunt with a code but they're just murderers that go after innocent people with no justification other than the fact that they're different. We don't harm innocent people."

"Alright. Let's get to New York."

Stiles was quiet as they crossed into Illinois from Missouri. Laura and Derek both shared a series of looks, but Stiles wasn't paying attention. He snapped out of his own little world when Derek climbed into the back seat with him as Laura continued driving down the highway. As she increased speed to pass a semi truck, Stiles had a vision of Derek flying through the window. "Buckle up! Werewolf healing isn't going to save you if you go flying through the windshield."

Derek rolled his eyes but he did as Stiles commanded. Stiles turned his attention back to the scene outside of the window, but he wasn't really paying attention to the scenery either. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Stiles wasn't exactly lying, but there was more to it.

"Deaton said that you'll be able to go home once you collect enough energy. Are you close?"

"I don't know. I think my last jump reset all of that."

"You've been quiet."

"I've just been thinking."

"About what?"

"My past and your future. A few days ago all of this was resolved and now I'm here living it with you. It's just surreal."

"At least I'm here with you. And Laura. You aren't alone in this, Stiles. I can't explain how, but I feel like I can trust you. Which is stupid considering what I've been through the last forty-eight hours."

Stiles looked to Laura, but she seemed focused on the road, which made Stiles wonder if she were trying to block out their conversation. "It isn't stupid. It's amazing. You're amazing."

Derek smiled at him and Stiles turned away when he felt himself begin to blush. "We're going to get you home. I promise you that. But if you wanted to stay with us, you'd be welcome."

"Derek, you don't really know anything about me."

"I know you're the son of two good people. My instincts tell me that I can trust you and that's good enough for me. Laura too."

Stiles sighed. "I can't stay here. I belong in my own time. Besides, I'm the one that watches your back in the future. I keep you from rushing into things without thinking."

Derek nodded slowly. "Then we'll help you get back. We'll call Deaton when we get to New York, if you want."

"Thanks, but you don't need to worry about me right now. I'm not even supposed to be here and if I distract the two of you and something happens, I'll never forgive myself." Stiles knew that it was more than his feeling that Derek should be able to spend as much time with his sister as he could. He wouldn't be able to live with himself if he was responsible for purging the world of Derek Hale and everything associated with him.

Stiles was tired, so when his eyes grew heavy he didn't bother to fight it. He dreamed of his Derek. This Derek was smiling and full of personality, completely unlike the Alpha he knew, and more like the younger version that Stiles had just met. Stiles tried to talk to him but he found that his voice was gone. Derek's voice was in his head, telling him that they don't need words. When he opened his eyes he felt Derek's weight against him. He blinked a few times to be sure that he was really awake, and he was.

They were still in the backseat of the truck and they were parked at a rest stop. Looking out of the window, Stiles could see Laura drinking from a bottle of water as she walked on the sidewalk near the restrooms. He did his best to avoid waking Derek, and when he turned he was surprised to find that Derek had unbuckled his seatbelt so that they could be touching. Derek's head was resting on his shoulder and his arm was interlinked with Stiles'.

When Laura opened the door and got inside the truck, she was careful to avoid slamming the door. She met his eyes when she turned to look back at them and she smiled. "We fell asleep," he said softly.

"Yeah. It was weird."

"That we fell asleep?"

"No, not that. Derek didn't sleep much last night. I didn't either, for that matter. I was watching you two as I was driving."

"Because that's not dangerous at all."

Her smirk grew wider. "You two sort of drifted together. Every mile I drove I would look back and you two would be a little closer in the seat. Before long his head was on your shoulder and you were holding onto his arm. It was kind of creepy. Also sweet."

Stiles raised an eyebrow. "It's probably the spell."

Laura nodded, but something in her eyes was defiant. "I'm sure you're right."

"Do you want me to wake him to drive?"

"No, he looks peaceful like that. Let him sleep for as long as he can." Stiles was surprised that Derek didn't wake up when she started the vehicle, or even when they pulled back onto the interstate. Stiles had stopped looking over to see if he were starting to wake up when he suddenly bolted upright, pulling Stiles with him. "Kate..."

"It's alright. She isn't here," Stiles said.

Derek calmed when he realized where he was. Stiles gently pulled him back to the seat and he reached over and buckled him in. "Sorry," Derek said. Now he looked more tired, as though he hadn't gotten any rest at all.

"You don't have to apologize."

"Did I hurt you?"

"No. I'm fine."

"Where are we?"

"We just entered Ohio. I figured we could stop and grab some dinner outside of Dayton," Laura said.

"What's the plan when we get to New York?," Stiles asked.

"You know the plan."

"We're just going to drive up to the Argent's house and expect them to not be ready with an arsenal of weapons and tons of people ready to take aim?"

"He's right," Laura said.

"We'll need a place to crash and figure this out."

"I'll call Lenore when we stop for food. I'm sure they can get us some rooms."

"We'll also need to do some recon. They would expect you two coming for them, so they're going to be ready."

"Laura, there's something I need to tell you. About Kate."

Laura sighed. "Derek, I already know, okay?"

"You do?"

She nodded. "I knew you were getting close to her. I thought she was different too, Derek. You weren't the only one that didn't see this coming."

"I slept with her," he said suddenly, like he couldn't bear to keep it in any longer.

Stiles' hand was already on his shoulder offering him support. Laura changed lanes and then looked back at Derek using the rear-view mirror. "I'm sorry this happened to you. It wasn't your fault and I know that even as I say this you won't believe me. She lied and took advantage of you. This is all on her."

"And we're going to make her pay," Stiles said. He left out the part about how Peter would actually be the one getting the retribution, and that it wasn't going to happen for about six years.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay in posting. I've had a cold and haven't felt like getting out of bed for a week. Adding to that the fact that I've been going to work everyday and you can imagine how my energy level is in the negative these days. I am doing better now, however, so I'm ready to post.
> 
> Please consider leaving me reviews. They make me very happy!

They made it to New York just after the sun went down. They drove into Syracuse and pulled into the parking lot of the Sycamore Hotel, which Stiles thought made the burned up Hale House look like the White House. "Lenore apologizes for the accommodations."

She led them to the nearest room, number sixteen, which was unlocked for them. Derek and Laura both took a moment to sniff out the room to make sure it was safe, and by the way they cringed their faces, Stiles was very happy he didn't have the werewolf sense of smell. He couldn't blame the pack for putting up the roaming werewolves in an out of the way place. "It's a territory thing, right?," Stiles asked.

Laura nodded. He could tell that she was surprised by his assumption. "Did Derek and I tell you everything there is to know about werewolves?"

"Not everything. We've also had information from Deaton, and a couple other sources."

"We can trust him, Laura. I can feel it." Stiles was surprised that Derek felt the need to vouch for him, but when he turned to Laura he could see that she was debating his allegiance.

Laura crossed her arms and stared at Stiles. "Don't you find it a little convenient that he showed up just before our family was murdered? He knows all this stuff about us...stuff that Hunters would know. And then there's this weird trust you have for him, which is completely out of left field."

"Woah. I'm not the enemy!"

"The spell could be instilling the sense of trust, Derek. If he even has any magic at all."

When Laura made a move towards him, Stiles went into panic mode. He walked backwards until he was up against the wall. "Listen to my heartbeat, okay? I'm not the enemy. I'm on your side."

"Mom said it. Hunters can learn how to fool us."

"Stop it," Derek said, when Laura's claws became visible.

"I need to know if we can trust you, Stiles. You have to prove it to us."

"Fine. How?"

That stumped Laura for a long minute. When she couldn't think of anything she raised her hand to Stiles' neck. Derek was on her in a second, pulling her off and throwing her onto the bed. He took a protective stance in front of Stiles and glared at his sister.

"You won't touch him," Derek declared.

Laura stood up and her claws retracted. "I guess that will do."

"What will do? I'm lost." Stiles watched as Laura got off of the bed and Derek moved out of his protective stance.

"Derek considers you pack, Stiles. He just took on a stronger werewolf to protect you. That kind of connection can't be faked. I'm sorry, but I had to be sure."

"I get it."

Derek relaxed once the threat was over. "I can't believe you did that."

"I wasn't really going to hurt him, Derek. It's my job to protect you."

Derek let out a whimper as everything came rushing back to him. Stiles saw Derek's bottom lip quiver and he walked over and grabbed him by the shoulders. "Not now. Remember?"

Derek nodded slowly as he remembered their previous conversation about how Stiles helped him to keep focus. "Will the pack help us?"

Laura sighed. "Lenore was kind of dodgy. I get the feeling that their Alpha doesn't want them to get involved. They want to stay out of the Argent's line of...fire." They all cringed at her poor choice of words.

"So we're on our own."

"Yeah. It's just the three of us."

Stiles thought about everything he knew about Kate, and Derek's time in New York. He was severely lacking any useful information, but he did remember Allison mention something during a conversation at the lunch table. Stiles, truth be told, had been more interested in trying to figure out what was in the school meat loaf. "They have a house here."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. Allison said so. Jackson said his family had a house in the Hamptons and Allison said her family did too."

"The Hamptons? Don't they have private security?"

"That isn't our biggest problem. Lenore's Alpha has claimed that territory."

"We're going to have to request permission," Derek said. He didn't look happy about it.

"They won't give it. They'd rather us leave than us cause conflict on their territory. I can't really blame them..."

"They slaughtered your family. That has to give you some kind of right of vengeance or something."

"We can argue that," Derek said, "but I doubt it will work."

Stiles groaned. He didn't want to say it. In fact, he had half a mind to bite off his tongue to keep the words from ever coming out of his mouth, but that seemed excessive. "I have a really horrible idea."

"What is it?"

"What if you challenge his status as Alpha?" Stiles knew that Laura was an Alpha when she died. That was how Peter caused so much trouble for them in the first place; because he had taken her power when he killed her. Derek had never told him or Scott how Laura became an Alpha, just that she was one. Now Stiles was panicking, because this could either turn out really good or really, really bad.

"That's not a smart idea. But it could work."

"How? Two werewolves going up against an entire pack? Their territory is massive and they'll follow us wherever we go."

"Which is why now is the perfect opportunity. Also, I may not be a werewolf, but I'm pretty useful in my own way."

"If you deplete your magic and something happens, you may not be able to go back home."

Stiles nodded. The thought had crossed his mind. "Derek, I have your back. Past, present, or future, I'm always going to be the guy making sure that you have someone keeping you safe."

"So it's the three of us against an entire pack. This still sounds like a bad idea. What if the Betas flip out and come after us?"

"Leave the Betas to me," Stiles said.

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bonus post since I've been MIA for a bit. This one is longer than the previous one, so naturally it is best for reading in the wee hours of the morning when you have to get up early for work. ;)
> 
> To those that have wondered about Stiles telling Laura and Derek about the future, I see some sharing of knowledge as important. For example, Stiles never tells them about the fact that Laura is going to die because that could change the future. He can talk about how Derek is broody without going into specific reasons. Also, the last chapter will shed some light on why Derek acts the way he does.

Stiles was nervous. He shoved his hands into his pockets every few minutes as they waited for the Alpha to meet with them. They were at a bowling alley which was oddly empty for two in the afternoon. Four Betas stood around and watched them, especially Stiles, because they knew that Humans weren't the Alpha's favorite species as of late. Stiles, not knowing that, was just nervous about the myriad of dangers that could be around every corner, because Stiles knew werewolves and he knew danger was attracted to them like their own messed-up brand of gravity.

"The Alpha apologizes for his delay. He'll arrive shortly."

"We'll wait. Thank you," Laura said. The red-headed woman nodded and then vanished into the closed off bar.

"Well, this is exciting," Stiles said. Derek and Laura, not to mention all of the other werewolves in the area, could hear his increasing heart rate.

"Calm down, Stiles. We're just here to talk. They aren't going to hurt us."

"We hope," he said. Stiles looked away from the Beta that reminded him a lot of Jackson. The guy had a dangerous look in his eyes and Stiles didn't need to see it to know that things could go badly in a matter of minutes.

"Where are they?," a male voice asked. The red-head was back and leading the tall man over to them. His skin was a dark olive color and Stiles was left wondering about his nationality, at least until the Alpha met his eyes. Red spheres stared back at him.

"We apologize for intruding on your territory. My name is Laura Hale. This is my brother, Derek, and an ally of our pack, Stiles."

"I know who you are. You brought a human into our building?"

"It was necessary. He's proven to be a useful ally to us."

The Alpha scanned Derek with his eyes and then he glanced at Laura. When his red eyes faded to green, Stiles felt like there was a slim chance that he wasn't about to be killed.

"Thank you for agreeing to meet with us."

"Lenore filled me in on what happened to your family. It's a tragedy, and one that deserves retribution. But I can't allow my territory to become a war zone and for my pack to become a target. I'm sure you understand."

"We sympathize with your position," Laura said, and Stiles was impressed at her diplomacy skills. "Still, they murdered our entire family, save the three of us. We can't let that slide."

The Alpha smiled at Laura. "I suppose not."

"We would appreciate your permission to track the Argents for the time being. We would just be watching their movements and making sure they aren't planning to leave town."

"It would be rude for me to refuse an offer from such a beautiful woman," the Alpha said. Stiles noticed Derek clenching his fist so he moved closer to Derek, hoping to be a distraction. The Alpha noticed what was happening and turned to Derek. "Do you have a problem?"

"No," Derek said, breathing slow breaths to keep from losing his temper.

"Good. You wouldn't stand a chance against me, kid. It would be a pity for your sister to lose another family member so quickly."

"We should be on our way. Thank you for all the support you've given us."

"Our pleasure. Feel free to come back anytime. But leave the pet at home, if you don't mind."

"I'm the pet? You obviously haven't seen Derek circle around a spot before lying down for a nap," Stiles said, without any forethought. When one of the Betas chuckled at the joke, the Alpha growled at Stiles.

"I'm sorry for speaking out of turn. Twice now, I guess. I meant no disrespect."

"Just...go," the red-head said. They didn't need to be told twice. They went out through the nearest exit and got into the pickup truck. They had already mapped out the Argent's address and were ready to go as soon as they got permission.

"That was stupid. You shouldn't have said anything."

"I'm not a statue. If something has to be said, I say it. Besides, Snaggletooth Beta thought it was funny."

"He was the only one," Derek said.

"That's just because the rest of you need to work on your senses of humor."

"Stiles, the guy could have killed you. If we tried to stop him he would have killed all of us."

"I'm magic, remember? And I've gone up against a whole pack of Alphas and lived to tell about it. Oops."

"You fought the Alpha pack?," Derek asked, eyes wide. He turned to Laura. "I told you those stories Uncle Peter used to tell us were true."

"Moderately true. He embellished all of the good parts of his stories. Anyway, Stiles, don't ever do that again."

"I wasn't invited back. Remember?"

"You're with us wherever we go," Derek said. Laura looked like she was ready to argue the point but she closed her mouth after taking one look at her younger brother. Stiles was in awe of Laura, and the longer he was around her, the more he began to see parts of her personality in Derek. Sure, he was mostly an overbearing jerk, but he had his moments.

"How long to the Argent's house?"

"It's about six hours of driving."

"How can their territory stretch that far?"

"It doesn't. The Alpha that we met is like a leader of a group of smaller packs. He's like their elected Alpha."

"That seems to go against every pack dynamic I've learned about. Close knit groups of wolves, contained hierarchy, even the instincts to protect one another."

"It works for them. And It's better than all of the packs fighting over land and risking exposure, or innocent people being hurt in the process."

"The idea just seems so strange. How would he keep all those people in line?"

"He's the only Alpha."

Stiles sighed. "So if something happened to him, everything out here would descend into chaos."

Derek turned his head towards the back seat. "Are you planning on putting out a hit on the guy?"

"Not exactly." This new information raised a lot of questions for Stiles. He wasn't sure how Laura was to become an Alpha if the only person she could acquire it from was a leader of a group of packs all over the state of New York. If she were to kill the guy, tons of Betas would rise up and revolt against her, which made the entire prospect unlikely. Stiles wished he could go back to his old life, but that seemed selfish when there were people in his present that he needed to help protect. Especially when one of them was Derek.

 

 

They had been driving for four hours before Laura suggested they stop to get some food. Derek went to the bathroom and the waitress brought their glasses of water and menus before disappearing into the crowd. "What are you to my brother?"

"What do you mean?"

Laura was quiet for a moment, which led Stiles to believe that she was attempting to chose her words carefully. "I've never seen anyone calm him down the way you can. He trusts you without any reason to, and he relaxes when you're around him, as though he can completely be himself. It's instinct."

"We know each other in my future. He's probably just reeling from what Kate did and I was the first person he isn't related to that he feels he can trust."

"So you two are just friends?" It was obvious to Stiles that she wasn't buying his explanation.

"Yeah. We're allies that have an appreciation for one another."

Laura shook her head. "You wouldn't volunteer to travel across the country for a guy that you simply appreciate. I see how you look at him..."

Stiles felt his breathing slow. "Has he noticed?"

"No. I don't think so. But he feels a connection to you."

Stiles sighed. "Derek is different in the future. He's more jaded and he doesn't trust people easily. I'm just a glutton for punishment because I fall for the two people in the world who couldn't be less interested."

"You love him."

"I care about him. Love is such a strong word."

Laura didn't flinch. "You love him," she repeated, and this time she was sure of it. Stiles blushed when Derek walked to their table and took a seat. He took one look at the two of them and knew that he had missed something.

"Are you two fighting now?"

Laura shook her head. "The opposite. Stiles is now my most favorite human. There's a certificate in the mail and everything."

"I'm more excited about the tattoo branding. 'Laura's number one homosapien.' I'm thinking of getting it on my..."

"Are you ready to order?" The woman's voice sent shivers down Stiles' spine. Laura and Derek picked up on his fear immediately. Stiles knocked the glass of water from Laura's hands and the waitress hissed at them. "Sorry," he said, "I'll clean it up. Can I get a towel?"

He avoided meeting her eyes, but when she left the table in search for the towel, he turned and watched her retreat. She was younger, and her features weren't as chiseled as they were when she moved into Beacon Hills, but Stiles knew that it was her.

"What's wrong? Do you know her?"

"We're leaving. Now." He led them outside quickly and they came to a stop in the parking lot when they saw two police officers standing near their truck and looking around.

"Stiles, what's going on?"

"I can't..."

"You have to. Something is happening here and you have to tell us the truth."

Stiles sighed. He led them deeper into the parking lot and they kneeled between two cars to avoid being seen. "The waitress. I know her in the future."

"Who is she?"

"She's Allison's mother. Allison is Scott's girlfriend."

"Your werewolf friend?"

Stiles nodded. "They have a bumpy relationship for a reason. Her name is Allison Argent."

Laura's eyes were wide. "She marries into the family? That means she's probably a hunter herself."

"She is, which is why drinking the water didn't seem like such a good idea. It's possible that she knows nothing about all of this, but if she does, we're in trouble. Those deputies are proof of that."

"We need to get out of here. This is a trap."

Stiles nodded. He was thinking the exact same thing. "We'll go at the hunters from opposite sides and surprise them."

"That won't work," Stiles said, thinking. He shoved his wrist to Derek.

"What? You want me to bite you?"

"That's perfect. He'll distract them and lead them away from us."

Derek was immediately opposed. "We aren't leaving him here."

Laura started to object but she looked around quickly, sniffing the air. "Wolfsbane," she said quickly.

"I should mention that it would be a very bad thing if any of them saw my face and could recognize me in my future. That goes for Derek, too."

"Why?"

"I can't explain right now."

Laura growled at the challenge they were about to face. "Fine. Bite Stiles."

Derek shook his head. "No, there has to be another way."

"We don't have time to argue. Bite me!"

Derek met Laura's eyes and she nodded. Derek opened his mouth wide and his fangs were exposed. He grabbed Stiles' wrist and dug his fangs into flesh, being careful to avoid doing any permanent damage. Stiles immediately regretted the plan, but when Derek let go it was too late to argue.

"I'll meet you guys at the bowling alley tomorrow. Please be careful." Laura wasn't paying attention when he said it, because she knew it was meant for Derek's ears. Stiles immediately stood up and walked towards the deputies. They ran over to Stiles when they saw he was hurt and they immediately asked what had happened.

"A big wolf. There were two of them, running into the forest heading West. I must have scared them because they did this."

The Deputies immediately went into action. One spoke into his radio while the other grabbed some gauze from the back of their police car and wrapped up the wound. "We're going to drop you off at the hospital. They'll make arrangements to call your parents. You're going to be fine, kid."

"They were wolves. I can't believe they didn't kill me."

They shoved Stiles into the police car and his survival instincts kicked in. He knew that they would be cautious of his possibly being bitten by an Alpha, which meant he would have people following him around. But Stiles was smart and he was sure that he'd be able to think of a way to escape. When they dropped him off at the emergency room, a dark haired man with glasses was there waiting for him.

"Let's get that checked out." The man asked Sties to sit in a wheelchair and he took him into an exam room. The Doctor carefully unwrapped the bandage and Stiles flinched when he sprinkled some dark powder into the wound. "That burns. What is it?"

"An antiseptic powder. The military uses it to stop bleeding." Stiles knew that was a lie. He could smell the stuff, and it reminded him of the way Derek smelled when he got shot with the Wolfsbane bullet. The Doctor looked at the reaction and when nothing happened, he nodded.

"You're lucky. You could have been more seriously wounded. Now, why were you alone at the restaurant?"

"I was...smoking behind the restaurant with a guy that works there. It was stupid. He had to go back to work and I was getting ready to leave when the wolves showed up."

"You're lying."

"I'm not."

The man's hand clenched over the wound, which caused Stiles scream from the pain. "Who are you, kid? We know you were with them."

It was then that Stiles noticed the small earpiece in the man's ear. It was well designed and looked like it could be a hearing aid. "With who?"

The Doctor squeezed tighter. "Okay, okay," he pleaded, and the Doctor let go. "I hitched a ride from a guy and a girl outside of Ohio. They said they were brother and sister and they were traveling here to find some people. I ran away from an alcoholic father. He isn't missing me and I'm better off. I won't go back."

The physician nodded after a moment. "Right. Okay."

"Who are you talking to?," Stiles asked.

"Some people that are concerned for your well-being. I'm going to admit you to the hospital. If you refuse, I'll put you in a psychiatric facility and keep you so doped up that you won't know your own name."

"What time's dinner?," Stiles asked, and the Doctor smiled. "I'll have someone take you to your room and bring you some food. If any of the nurses ask, your name is Kyle Hughes and you're here because of a viscous dog attack."

"Whatever you say, doc."

The man left the room and Stiles had the instinct to run for his life, but he buried it. He knew his running would only alert them that Derek and Laura were still around. He just hoped they had enough sense to ditch the truck, because it was the only way they could be tracked. When a female nurse came she helped Stiles back into a wheelchair and she took him to the third floor via the elevator. He had a room with a large window.

The nurse returned after he had eaten some dinner. "The Doctor asked me to give you a series of shots. The first is for rabies, and the second is a course of antibiotics. The third is going to allow you to get some sleep. When you wake up, we'll have your arm stitched up and bandaged."

"Can't I take a pill? I don't like shots..."

The nurse gave him a sympathetic look, but she wasn't fooling Stiles. He could sense that she was going to enjoy every minute of her tortuous injections. "I'm afraid not. I'll be as gentle as possible."

"Just get it over with, then."

Stiles felt like a pin cushion by the time the final shot was administered. The drug worked quickly however, and by the time he was lying in the bed he already felt a little buzz in his head. His eyes closed as the nurse left the room and he thought of Derek as he fell asleep.

 


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> My goal of this chapter was to put Stiles completely out of his element and away from anyone he could rely on. That's where the whole hospital scenario came from. It makes sense to me that Hunters would have a doctor on staff just like the Hale pack has Deaton in times of need. Still, I wanted to get Stiles out of there as quickly as possible, so I'm sorry if it seems rushed.
> 
> If you leave me a review I will love you forever! (C;

If he had any dreams, he wasn't able to remember them because of the medication. When he woke up the sun was shining in through the window of his room. Looking at his arm, he was able to see that it was bandaged, and it ached slightly from the work they had done on it. "You're awake," the Doctor from the previous night said.

"Yeah. Thanks for fixing me up."

"It was the least we could do. I'm here to ask more questions."

"Sure."

"First of all, what's your name?"

"Kyle Hughes."

The Doctor smirked. "I mean your real name."

"Justin Bieber." The Doctor scribbled the name down on a small sheet of paper. Stiles had to cover his face with his arm because he couldn't stop from smiling.

"And your age?"

"Sixteen."

"Tell me about the wolves that bit you last night."

"There were two of them. I've never seen wolves before but these seemed like they were larger than they should have been. Their fur was dark and their eyes were, I don't know, weird."

"How so?"

"It seemed like they recognized me. It was probably just the adrenaline playing tricks on my mind."

"You're probably right. Were the eyes glowing when you were bitten?"

"Is this one of those psychological tests? You're trying to see if I'm hearing voices or seeing animals that aren't really there?"

"Just answer the question, please."

"No. The eyes were blue."

"Thank you, Justin. We'll be releasing you shortly."

"Am I going to get breakfast first?"

"I'll see what I can arrange."

"Thank you." Stiles didn't mean those words when he said them. When the Doctor left he was already wondering about his plan to get back to the bowling alley. Taking a taxi would be impossible since his debit card wouldn't be working for another two years, which is when his father took him to the bank to open his savings account. He decided that walking was the way to go, but he also knew he'd have to be careful in case someone made plans to follow him.

When the nurse came in with his tray of food, he found five twenty dollar bills underneath the breakfast plate. He thanked her for her kindness but she was adamant that she didn't know what he was talking about. Stiles was discharged two hours later, and he immediately took off towards the bowling alley. Stiles had read enough spy novels and seen enough movies to know what people following you looked and acted like, but it was difficult to look out for a tail without making it seem like you were a suspicious freak roaming the streets.

Stiles decided that he was thirsty, so he walked into a grocery store and got some bottled water. The cashier asked him what happened to his arm and he stuck with the story of a dog attack. When he made his way back outside he saw a red sedan parked across the street. He recognized the men as the deputies from the restaurant but he was quick to pretend that he didn't notice them.

When he was sure he was close, he ran through a couple of alleys and did some backtracking to be certain that he lost the car. When he recognized his surroundings he started running in the direction he wanted to go. When he walked into the bowling alley his eyes took a moment to adjust, because while the lights were on, they were dimmed. Derek and Laura were both sitting in chairs and their hands were tied behind their backs.

"Welcome back, kid," the Alpha said, and he smiled at Stiles in a way that allowed his fangs to show.

"Thanks for having me back. I'm sorry I'm late for the party."

"Leave him alone. This wasn't his fault," Derek said. The red-head slapped him across the face. Stiles was running towards them, but Snaggletooth was suddenly holding him back before he was even half way to them.

"Why don't you have a seat? We've just been discussing our deal with the hunters."

"Which is?"

"We're going to turn the three of you over to them." The Alpha showed no remorse or discomfort at the idea.

"You're an idiot if you do that. You can't possibly think they're going to let you stay alive after what they did to their family."

"We'll be around long after they dismember your bodies and make you disappear. Your friends bit a human in our territory. Do you know how bad that looks for us?"

"Should I care?"

The Alpha stared at him like he was an idiot. "They're just looking for a reason to come after us. I'm not going to fail at protecting my people because two Omegas and a human came from the west coast for a little payback."

"Dude, let me go," Stiles said. The Beta held onto him tighter until the Alpha waved him off. Snaggletooth looked disappointed as he freed Stiles and returned to his post by the entrance. "What do you want us to do? Should we just forgive them for what they did?"

"I don't care. It's too late for that now, anyway. We're going to take you to a location in a spot of our choosing and then the Argents will be given your coordinates."

"That's not going to work for us."

The red-head slapped Derek a second time. Without anyone holding him back, Stiles was next to them fast thanks to his lacrosse drills. "You don't want to do that again."

"What are you going to do about it?"

"Touch him again and I'll kill everyone you've ever met." The was an edge in his voice that made Stiles sure that he was telling the truth.

"Stiles...," Derek warned.

The red-head grabbed Derek's face and dug her claws into his cheek, drawing blood. Stiles knew he couldn't let that go, especially since she was smirking at Stiles while she did it, so he took a step towards her and felt his energy level rise. Everything was normal for the first few seconds, until the light bulbs over their heads began to illuminate with their full level of energy. Red took a step away and the other Betas were dumbfounded by the experience, even as the bulbs began to explode from the excess electricity. The Alpha stared at Stiles like he was a shiny new toy, but Stiles was too focused on red for him to pay the Alpha any attention.

Stiles didn't stop there. He could feel the energy around himself and with the tiniest bit of concentration he felt himself unleash his own power into the mix. Streams of electricity erupted from the broken light bulbs and converged on the red head. She screamed as the energy struck her skin at multiple points. Stiles took advantage of the commotion and started untying the ropes being used to keep Laura and Derek captive.

"Enough."

Stiles met the Alpha's eyes. He snapped his eyes shut and willed his magic to ease. The red head was already healing and when Stiles looked at Derek's face, there were no signs of any of the cuts.

"What did he do?"

"I warned you," Stiles said, still tense. He knew there was only one direction he could go with this and he was afraid of wasting the opportunity. "They're under my protection."

"You hide behind a witch?"

"We hide behind no one," Laura said. She and Derek both moved in front of Stiles but he pushed himself between them so they were all lined up together, side by side, facing the Alpha.

"Consider your invitation revoked. If any of us find you on our territory we'll kill you."

Stiles felt the wound on his arm itching but he ignored it. "Let's compromise instead."

"We don't compromise with humans."

Stiles gave the Alpha his best eye roll, modeled after the patented sarcasm of Lydia Martin. "We aren't leaving until the Argents pay for what they've done. That means we're going to run into one another. If any of your dogs so much as look at us in the wrong way, I'll make them regret it. And then I'm coming for you."

"Stiles, threatening an Alpha isn't a good idea," Derek said.

"You're probably right. But I'm human, and all of my ideas tend to be bad ones. It's a genetic thing."

"We don't want a fight with any of you. We want the hunters to pay for the murder of our family members."

"Your presence threatens all of our kind, Laura," a spiky haired Beta said, stepping forward from one of the windows. Stiles had never seen the woman before, but he was able to correctly assume that this was the Lenore that she had been in contact with.

"No. Their presence threatens all of our kind. The code exists for a reason and they violated their own most sacred law. We are their system of checks and balances, as they are for us."

"You have twenty four hours to do what you came here to do. Any longer than that and we'll put you down. Show them out." The Alpha walked back to the bar with a wave of his Betas following him. Lenore sighed and led the three of them outside of the bowling alley.

Stiles was thankful to find that there weren't any cars of hunters waiting for them. Lenore led them to the next block and then she took Laura's hand. "I'm so sorry for what has happened here. I was always welcomed with open arms by your family and I hate what has been done to them."

"Then come with us," Laura offered.

"I can't. Raymond is my Alpha, and he's made his position very clear. Besides, you won't need me with a witch so powerful on your side."

"Yeah, we should talk about that..."

"Later," Derek said.

Laura hugged Lenore and the Beta ran back into the bowling alley. They began to head north on foot and everyone was silent. "Um, where are we going?," Stiles asked. His arm was aching now, and he was oddly missing the hospital food.

"We stashed the truck in a supermarket parking lot. We were heading back to it from our new motel room when the pack grabbed us."

"About what happened before. I don't know what happened."

Derek and Laura both stopped and turned to face him. "You threatened an entire pack with mystical powers that you don't even have?"

Stiles laughed nervously and nodded his head. "Listen, I'm magical, okay. But I haven't done much and what happened at the bowling alley, I've never done anything like that before."

Stiles felt a tickle in his arm and he growled as he ripped off the bandage. His eyes were wide when he saw that his arm looked perfectly normal. There weren't any visible signs that Derek had ever bitten him.

"How is that possible?," Derek asked, taking Stiles' arm into his hands.

"It shouldn't be. Unless you somehow turned him."

"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard. I'm not turning into a werewolf. I'd know. Besides, the creepy Doctor put Wolfsbane in there as soon as I got to the emergency room."

"Maybe it's part of your magic? You were controlling electricity a few minutes ago. Maybe this is part of that?"

Stiles was nervous, mostly because magic had already sent him backwards in time. Now, more than ever, he was worried about accidentally doing something that would destroy his future. "What if it's something else?"

"Like what?," Laura asked.

"Peter's wife. You remember that time she cut her finger in the kitchen? It healed before she made it across the house to get a bandaid."

"Werewolves have healing powers, remember?"

"She was human, Stiles. And she didn't practice any type of magic. It happened all of the time."

Laura nodded. Her eyes conveyed to Stiles that she was in the process of remembering something. "He's right. Mom and dad said it had something to do with our pack bond. Maybe when Derek bit you..."

"I've been beat up tons of times in the future. Nothing like this has ever happened."

Laura looked between Stiles and Derek and she sighed. "There's only one other possibility."

"Which is...?," Stiles asked.

"The mating bond," Laura replied.

Derek looked at Laura with wide eyes. "You mean you and Stiles...?"

Laura smacked him over the head. "No idiot. I mean you and Stiles."

Stiles' eyes immediately fell to his shoes as his face turned a dozen shades of red. Derek just stared ahead like he had been hit with a two-by-four. "That's not possible. I'm not..."

Stiles looked up and met Laura's eyes. "Thank you for this very awkward moment. Can we just forget about all of this and continue with our hunting and killing mission?"

"Yes please," Derek said.

Laura nodded and resumed leading the way. Stiles' head was swimming with a dozen thoughts at once. He didn't understand how this could be a possibility, even though he liked Derek and had a connection with him. Especially after getting to know this new, younger version who knew how to smile and had more of an outgoing personality. He didn't understand why his Derek never said anything to him, considering all of this was in his past and he should remember. Stiles groaned at the annoyance of time travel when they crossed the street into the parking lot of the Arcadia Foods Supermarket.

"Alright. We have twenty four hours to get to the Argents. It's about a nine hour drive to get there. That leaves fifteen hours to exact our revenge and get out of here before Raymond unleashes his pack on us."


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We're almost to the end?! How did that happen?
> 
> This one is a little shorter than the last chapter because it didn't need a lot. I hope you like it!

They were parked at the end of the street. Stiles could barely make out the driveway to the house, let alone the front door. Laura and Derek's vision was better and they could easily see what was going on. Whenever he started to ask a question about what was going on, they would shush him. After a while, Stiles figured out that they were trying to listen to what was going on around them, but the whole thing made Stiles bored out of his mind. He was sure now, more than ever, that a career in law enforcement wasn't in his future.

After ten more minutes of silence, Stiles had had enough of their plan. He climbed over Derek, which ended up being way more sexual than he had intended, and got out of the truck through the passenger door. "What are you doing?," Derek asked.

"I'm going to see if they're home."

"They'll kill you!"

"I'm human. Besides, they don't know me in this time. It'll be fine. You two just go back to stalking from afar. You're doing great."

Stiles used the time it took to walk to the door from where the truck was to think up a valid reason for him being there. He shuffled around two possibilities and was preparing to use his best Australian accent for whomever opened the door. There was no car in the driveway and the house was dark, except for the porchlight which lit up as he approached. He knocked twice and rang the doorbell.

When he headed back to the truck, he was concerned as to what this meant. He knew that Derek and the Argents hadn't ever had a confrontation until Scott was bitten and the whole mess with Peter unfolded. He wondered if this meant that was how it was meant to happen all along. Derek opened the door to the truck and climbed out.

"No one was home."

Laura leaned closer to them, but she was still buckled up in the driver's seat. "We should get out of here. The neighbors might call the police."

Stiles climbed into the truck and Derek followed. Laura started the engine and used the nearest driveway to turn the vehicle around, and they took off towards one of the many overpriced motels in the area, which Laura seemed to always b able to pay for. Derek and Stiles were both quiet as Laura exited the vehicle and ran into the lobby.

Stiles wanted to talk to Derek. He wanted to do a lot of things with Derek, but the problem was that the guy sitting in the seat in front of him wasn't the same one he ached for. And it was an ache, growing more and more prominent. Stiles missed broody, silent, non-joking Derek Hale. Now that he knew what he wanted, he didn't know where that left him.

Laura returned quickly with two keys. She kept one in her jacket pocket and tossed the other to Derek. "We got the last two rooms. You're just lucky they have a king bed."

She drove to the other side of the facilities and parked in the open spot a few feet from her room. "Let's just get ourselves a good night's sleep, okay? We'll figure out our next move in the morning."

"That's only going to give us six hours," Stiles said.

"Then we'll figure out a plan that will only take four hours so that we can use the last one to get out of this town." Stiles ignored her annoyance with him. She looked tired from driving all day and Stiles was already thinking about whether this bed was going to be more comfortable than a hospital bed. He took the key from Derek and went into the room, closing the door quietly. There was a faint smell of cigarette smoke but Stiles knew that Derek would have a more difficult time putting up with it than he would.

"You okay?"

Stiles sat on the edge of the bed and nodded. Derek closed and locked the door and he sat next to Stiles. "Something's bothering you, Stiles. I don't know you that well, but I can see that something's up."

"I miss him."

"Your friend?"

"I miss Scott, but I was talking about you. I mean future you."

Derek nodded like he understood, but Stiles knew he didn't. Even he was having trouble wrapping his mind around what was going on. "You're great. I really mean that."

"But I'm not the one you want."

"No. You will be eventually. I know this doesn't make sense."

"It isn't your fault. You used magic earlier. Do you think that you'll be able to get back soon?"

"I'm not sure. Derek, this isn't fair to you. I can't ask you to wait for me. Hell, what am I even talking about? My Derek hates my guts."

"He couldn't hate you. Not if he feels even a little bit of what I feel for you." That was when it hit him. In that moment he understood how everything happened and what he had to do to ensure that he still had a future.

"I understand now," he said, turning to Derek.

"Understand what?"

"When I leave, you're going to have to do something for me. You're going to find me in the woods one day and it's all going to start there. You have to pretend that you've never met me before. You have to make me think that you hate me. Lydia hated me and it just made me want her more."

Derek's eyes narrowed. "Who's Lydia?"

"Not important. I fall for the people that I think hate me. It's like some screwed up challenge in my head. Holy crap, I'm telling you what to do to get me to fall for you in the first place. This is surreal."

"So you're saying that you falling for me happens because I'm a jerk to you, all because you came back in time to tell me to act like that?"

Stiles nodded. "I think so. I think this is it. I think I'm ready to go home."

"What? How do you know?" Derek suddenly looked unnerved.

"Deaton said I would know. I think it's going to be tonight. When I fall asleep."

"You could stay. I'm not the same guy, I know, but you make me feel like there's hope for me in this world. I don't want to wait six years to find that again once you leave."

"You don't have to. You're going to live your life, Derek. One day down the road, we'll run into each other again. For right now, you just have to take care of Laura and figure out a way to grieve."

"Just stay with me. I'm not him, but I can learn. I can give you anything you need."

"I need him. I know it sounds stupid, but he's the one I fell in love with. Holy shit. I'm in love with Derek Hale." He felt relieved and surprised at the same time.

Derek stood up and began pacing. "If you leave, I won't be able to not think about what happened."

"I know. And you're going to learn to feel that and not be trapped by it. You're going to be a good man, Derek. And I'm going to be by your side."

Derek nodded. "So you're leaving."

"Tonight at some point. Probably."

"You want to go to him. That's how all of this started in the first place. I think you're more powerful than you realize, Stiles."

"I don't know. What I do know is that you're going to be okay."

Derek sighed. "I hope you're wrong. I hope that you're still here in the morning. I know that's horrible and selfish, but I feel like I'm losing another person. I've already lost too many."

"You and Laura need to take care of each other right now. Let's go to bed."

Derek stood up and removed his jacket. Stiles walked to the other side of the bed and pulled the comforter down. He got into the bed and covered himself up. Derek slid I'm between the sheets next to him and Derek reached up to the lamp by the bed and turned it off. Darkness fell over the room and Stiles felt his conflicting emotions. He wanted to tell Derek to keep Laura away from Beacon Hills. He wanted to tell him to stay in New York and forget all about him.

Most of all, he wanted Derek to be safe. And as horrible as it was for him to admit it, he knew that Derek was safest with his pack by his side in their future.


	8. Chapter 8

"Ohmygod! He's back!"

Stiles' eyes flew open from the sudden pressure on his chest. When he looked down he found Scott was hugging him. "Yes, he's here," Scott said. He tossed the cellphone onto the bed and stayed there.

Stiles was back home. His room looked the same as he took it all in. There was sunlight coming in through his window, the same way that it did every morning. Scott suddenly sat up and stared at Stiles. "Where the hell have you been? We've been worried sick!"

"How long have I been gone?"

"Three days. I used your cell to text your father and said you were hanging out at my place for a history project."

"I took history last semester, Scott."

He shrugged. "Your dad doesn't know that. Dude, where were you?"

"It's a really long story. Who were you talking to on the phone?"

"Isaac. He's going to call everyone and let them know. You should have seen Derek. He was seriously worried."

"Really?"

Scott nodded. "He kept mumbling something about New York. Erica thinks he lost his mind."

That surprised Stiles. He couldn't understand why Derek would have freaked out if he knew what was going to happen because of the conversation in their past. Stiles stood up and ran out of the room, leaving Scott on the bed. He jumped into the shower and brushed his teeth in record time. When he ran back to his room in only a towel, Scott looked ready to ask what he was missing.

"I can't explain now. I just have to go see Derek."

"I'm your best friend. Why do you need to see him and not me?"

"Fine. You listen while I get dressed."

Stiles sat on the bed with his back to Stiles so that he could have his privacy. Stiles pulled a shirt from a hanger in the closet and put it on quickly. "I still had magic when I went to bed the night we exorcised the spirits. I accidentally cast a spell that sent me back in time to when Derek was a teenager."

"You're being serious right now?"

"Yes. I time jumped a second time and was there right after the fire. It turns out Derek knew me all this time because we first met when we were both sixteen."

Scott was quiet for a long moment. Stiles walked over to him after finishing getting dressed. "Are you okay?"

"My head kind of hurts," Scott admitted.

"Don't worry about it. I'll call you later."

Stiles felt bad about leaving Scott in his room, but Derek was his priority now. He grabbed his keys and took off for the jeep. He was thankful when it started and he pulled out of the driveway in record time. He made it to the Hale House in less than ten minutes and he jumped out of the jeep with it still running because he was so excited. He reached back in to turn it off and that was when he realized that Derek's car wasn't there.

He pulled his cell from his jacket pocket and dialed Scott.

"Miss me already?"

"Scott, he isn't at his house."

"That's because he got a new apartment. None of us knew about it until two days ago."

"What's the address?"

"1249 Cedar. Building C."

Stiles hung up the phone without thanking Scott. He jumped back into the jeep and drove to the building. He parked in one of the empty parking spots and stared at the warehouse-like building before gathering the courage to knock on the door. Derek was opening the door as he approached.

"You're back."

"I am."

Derek pulled him inside and closed the door. Before Stiles had time to look around, Derek had him against the wall. Stiles didn't fight Derek's hold. The Alpha leaned into the nape of his neck and he inhaled slowly.

"You smell like Laura," he said, with more sadness in his voice than he had intended.

"You're a dick. You lied to me all this time."

Derek took a step away and met his eyes. "You were the one that told me to! You're the dick that made me wait six years."

"You're right. I'm sorry. It just felt like you were two different people."

"I grew up a lot in six years."

Stiles knew what he wanted, and he was adamant about not wasting anymore time. He reached for Derek's neck with his hands and he pulled the Alpha closer so that their lips were mashed into each other. Derek's hands immediately rose to his waist and he kissed Stiles back.

"Was it worth waiting for?," Stiles asked.

"Yes," Derek replied. He leaned in and kissed Stiles again.

"When did you rent an apartment?"

Derek grabbed Stiles' hand and led him to the center of the loft. There was an upstairs reachable by a spiral staircase. A large hole in the wall called Stiles' attention immediately. "I got it when I realized where you were. Do you like it?"

"It's great. Kind of big for you and your lack of furniture, but it definitely makes you seek edgier."

Derek pulled a key from his pocket and gave it to Stiles.

"You gave me a key."

"Yeah. You're...you know."

"What?"

Derek rolled his eyes. "You're my boyfriend. You're welcome here anytime."

Stiles raised an eyebrow. "You got us a sex pad?"

Derek looked nervous but Stiles quickly grabbed his hand. "Best. Present. Ever."

Derek led Stiles up the spiral staircase. A king sized bed was waiting for them and while Stiles was ready to dispense with the sexual tension, he was also nervous. Derek took one look at him and read his expression. "It's okay. We don't have to rush this."

Stiles nodded. "I really want to. It's just...I missed you."

Derek laughed. "I was there with you in that motel room, Stiles."

"It was you...but it wasn't. You didn't look at me like you wanted to knock me through a wall because I wouldn't stop talking."

"That's really what turns you on?"

"You didn't notice?"

Derek's smirk gave it away. "Okay, I noticed after the first few times."

"I knew it! I knew you weren't a complete ass for the hell of it. You were playing a character and manipulating me this whole time. All so I'd fall for you."

"Are we back to that again? You were the one that told me to act like I didn't know you."

Stiles nodded. "Fine. It's all my fault. Where does that leave us?"

Derek shrugged. "It's just you and me, six feet from my brand new bed. In our brand new sex pad, to which only you and I have keys. And you and I are the only ones that have even been in here since I moved in."

Stiles took a long look into Derek's eyes and he knew that it was time. Not because he was ready or because it was something to overcome, like a challenge. It was because he loved Derek, and looking into the Alpha's eyes told him that they had a real connection. One that would make it through the awkwardness of Stiles' first time. He gently pushed Derek onto the bed and then climbed on top of him.

"Are you sure?"

Stiles nodded. "I've never been more sure of anything."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The End
> 
>  
> 
> Writing this was fun for me. I've been curious as to how Laura would view Stiles and wanted to put them together. Adding a little Sterek angst in there seemed like a great way to build the story up, and I'm a fan of magic!Stiles so I just went with it.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


End file.
